ياO أَباfather of (Abu) جَعفَرٍJa‘far بِأَيِّin what مَكانِplace
يا أَبا جَعفَرٍ بِأَيِّ مَكانِ
ضاعَwas lost مِنّيfrom me رَأييmy judgment وَضَلَّand went astray لِسانيmy tongue
ضاعَ مِنّي رَأيي وَضَلَّ لِساني
O Abu Ja‘far, where
O Abu Ja'far, in what place
did my judgment fail me and my tongue go astray?
Did I lose my wisdom and my tongue go astray?
وَاِمتِداحيكَand my praising you لاnot لِشَيءٍfor anything وَلَكِنbut
وَاِمتِداحيكَ لا لِشَيءٍ وَلَكِن
هَذَيانٌravings مِنfrom شاعِرٍa poet مَجّانِshameless
هَذَيانٌ مِن شاعِرٍ مَجّانِ
And my praise of you was for no reason, but merely
And my praise of you is not for anything, but
the ravings of a shameless poet.
Raving of a possessed poet.
لاnot أَلومُI blame اللُؤمَthe baseness الَّذيthat جاءَcame مِنfrom فِعdeed (word fragment)
لا أَلومُ اللُؤمَ الَّذي جاءَ مِن فِع
لِكَyour (completes 'your deed') لَكِنَّنيbut I أَلومُI blame الأَمانيthe hopes
لِكَ لَكِنَّني أَلومُ الأَماني
I do not blame the baseness that came from
I do not blame the meanness that came from your deeds,
your deed; rather, I blame hopes.
But I blame the wishes.